San Carlos residents report suspicious helicopter

August 19th, 2014 (InsideCostaRica.com) Residents of Aguas Zarcas, Venecia, San Miguel and La Virgen de Sarapiquí in San Carlos in Costa Rica’s Northern Zone reported to authorities the presence of a suspicious low-flying helicopter on Saturday, according to regional police chief, Francisco Morales.

The incident was also reported to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Morales said that authorities were able to determine that there were no authorized flights for the area when the helicopter was reported.

Between October and November 2013, Costa Rican authorities found nine clandestine heliports used to transport drugs from Colombia to northern Central America, Mexico and the United States, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

In the past 10 years, Costa Rica has gone from being a transit point for drugs to becoming a place where drugs are warehoused, according to Paul Chaves, an expert in security and drug-trafficking issues.